Northern Illinois Weekender - 031321

Weekender NORTHERN

ILLINOIS

YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2021 • ShawLocal.com

NATURE IS CALLING

IDNR launches new camping reservation site / 3

CATCH OF THE DAY

Fish fry fans share their favorites / 4

GOING GREEN Dyeing of the Fox River is just one of the returning St. Patrick’s Day celebrations this weekend / 5

UNCORKED

SHAW MEDIA

An expert taster shares favorite finds to consider adding to your own wine racks.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 13, 2021

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By JAMES NOKES

Wines of Livermore Valley truly stand out

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rustrated when his offer on a new home was rejected, Larry Dino soothed his disappointment.

A stubborn real estate agent told him to “take it or leave it” and refused to budge on the list price of a Sonoma, California, home. As Dino headed back to Fremont, he passed a purple 1970 Plymouth Barracuda.

In its window was a “For Sale” sign. With his wife Margie’s reluctant blessing, he made the owners an offer they couldn’t refuse. He didn’t get a house that day, instead, he got a car that took three years to refurbish in his garage.

Dino’s friends joked his first homemade wine had notes of gas because the barrels were adjacent to the car.

Its picture was on the label of bottles he’d share with friends, and when he opened a winery, it was named Cuda Ridge Wines, an homage to the car.

Dino’s Cuda Ridge is one of 60 wineries in Livermore Valley, an area with an academic think tank, a commitment to agriculture that has ensured a quieter way of life, and winemakers who have turned out a diverse collection of excellent wines.

“My wife hated that car,” Dino joked. “I spent a lot of money on it, and it always broke when she went into it.

She’d call it my mistress. When we had a bottle party to celebrate our home winemaking, we were going to call it Dino’s Vino, but a buddy of mine who is a car enthusiast came up with the name.

Today, the car is in the garage, I don’t have a lot of time to work on it now.”

While Livermore Valley has grown since Dino founded his winery in 2007, and Dane Stark of Page Mill Winery arrived in 2004, a program called the Urban Growth Boundary required new properties to be large farms, and any housing development reserved an equal-sized land plot for agriculture.

Stark said Livermore Valley reminded him of what Napa Valley was like 30 years ago.

“I’m not ashamed to say that in 2004, when I’d go down the wine trail, there were a few places that I would not want to go back to,” Stark said.

“But, I feel like today the quality has skyrocketed. It’s incredible. There is camaraderie in the valley that’s just part of the wine industry, because we are all down-to-earth people that are farmers to begin with. The learning curve was steep, but the progress has been phenomenal.”

Even though his father started as a

TASTING NOTES ■■ Darcie Kent Cabernet Sauvignon

2016 (N/A): Flavors of black cherry, dried violets, currant with a dusting of espresso on the finish; all hang from a scaffolding of well-integrated tannins.

■■ Wood Family Vineyards “The Captain” 2018 ($44): Black cherry, milk chocolate and a soft mouth feel. An easy drinking cabernet.

■■ McGrail Vineyards “James Vincent” Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 ($48): A rich nose of black currant, berry and tar. There’s licorice, anise and grippy tannins that keep pulling on the finish.

Photo provided

Larry Dino is the winemaker at Cuda Ridge Wines in Livermore, California. home winemaker at the family’s Palo Alto house, it wasn’t until Stark spent a year in France that he realized he too would find joy in wine.

But, he had to find a winery. The cost of living in the Palo Alto zip code was too steep.

“When I went away to college, I preferred beer,” Stark said. “But at Colorado, I got into a study abroad program and spent a year in Bordeaux. That opened my eyes to the wine business and the fabulous thing that is winemaking. I had to get away from the homestead to see what other people were doing that was really cool.

I was like a climber from the plains looking at a mountain.

“What tipped the scales is the way the French approach wine,” he said.

“It’s with such reverence. We don’t have the history they do. There are so many classifications and tiny appellations. The minutiae in the details

really turned me on.”

Both winemakers made authentic wines. They earnestly represented the growing season without any flair or dramatic tinkering in the vineyard or cellar.

The varietals changed, but the wines were delicious. Each winemaker was humbled when comparisons were offered to their respective wines.

For the Page Mill Winery GPS 2018 ($38), it was reminiscent of a wine from France’s Cote Rotie. The grenache, petite sirah and syrah blend had blueberry cobbler on the nose with black olive tapenade, raspberry and cinnamon stick flavors. It’s lighter on the palate than the nose suggested but very expressive and fun. The wine’s acidity ensured it would maintain a verve.

Stark wanted a wine that spoke of place, hence the GPS name, and has the blend dialed in with 80% syrah,

16% petite sirah and 4% grenache.

Petite sirah can be burly, and Stark was surprised by the amount needed to make the wine really shine.

“Petite sirah is the only grape I can identify just walking past it, the extraction is instantaneous,” Stark said. “The juice on the bottom of the pick bin is already red. Every other grape, it’s just juice. I love that I don’t have to think about extraction at all, I actually have to consider too much extraction. It’s also hard to add new oak; my favorite barrels to use are 1 year old.”

The Cuda Ridge Melange D’Amis 2016 ($60) has green bell pepper, white pepper and dusty dark chocolate on the nose, flavors of blackberry, black currant and raspberry with hints of mint and dark chocolate on the finish.

The mix of red and black fruit is tantalizing, there’s a silky mouthfeel and the Livermore Valley winemaker vibe.

They aren’t chasing a specific style or trend. They’ve simply made the best wines possible.

“I really want balance in fruit and earthiness,” Dino said. “My preference is for European wines. When wines are over fruity, it masks some of the spiciness, the forest floor, leather and chocolate flavors I enjoy.”

The Melange D’Amis bottle is massive. Dino said when he started a reserve line, he wanted a bottle that “stood out.”

It did, as do the wines from Livermore Valley.

• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.

STARVED ROCK COUNTRY

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Camping at Starved Rock just got easier

By RYAN SEARL

rsearl@shawmedia.com

J

ust in time for the return of camping season, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has announced the launch of its brand new, user-friendly, reservation platform.

Starting now, you can go to Camp.

ExploreMoreIL.com to scout the many unique camping options throughout Illinois, and ExploreMoreIL.com for hunting and fishing licensing, watercraft and snowmobile titling, registration and renewals. These sites can be accessed on all your desktop and mobile devices, without downloading an app. Simply open your favorite browser, visit the site and save the page for quick access in the future.

The new platform features an intuitive user interface, access to a 24/7 call center (866-716-6550), and a seamless transition from the IDNR’s previous wildlife and fish licensing system and Reserve America camping platform.

Prior users will just log in as they’ve done in the past, with their existing credentials. All profile, license and past purchase information, as well as active campground reservations, have been imported into the new system. New users can create a username and password, then start exploring the site.

“We want to invite Illinois residents and visitors to our state to explore more of Illinois,” said IDNR Director Colleen Callahan. “The new ExploreMoreIL.com and Camp.ExploreMoreIL.com platforms make it easy for everyone to enjoy the outdoors and all the great places and activities Illinois has to offer.”

Camp.ExploreMoreIL.com makes it simpler than ever before to browse the available sites at Starved Rock Country’s two beautiful state campgrounds: Marseilles’ hidden-gem Illini State Park and the spectacular Starved Rock State Park.

Starved Rock State Park’s campground, one of the area’s most popular camping sites, is conveniently located just south of the park, off East 950th Road. The proximity means you can explore all the wonders the park has to offer, and still have plenty of time to enjoy s’mores around the campfire.

You’ll find modern amenities like a 24/7 firewood vending machine, in addition to two shower houses, a playground, a camp store and plenty of lavatories.

The campground is capable of han-

Shaw Media file photo

A new reservation platform offered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources simplifies the hunt for perfect camping accommodations. dling everything from pop-up tents to 45-foot trailers, and you’ll find a variety of shaded, sunny and even accessible spots for people with disabilities.

Each site features ample space to set up tents (a maximum of two per site), a picnic table, fire pit and an electric hookup.

Illini State Park, less than a half hour to the east of Starved Rock State Park in Marseilles, provides camping with an unbeatable view. With sites running along the banks of the Illinois River, campers are treated to a close-up view of barges entering

an intricate lock and dam system and excellent birding opportunities.

During the spring, you’ll also spot beautiful Virginia bluebells and other wildflowers along a trail that runs through the park. Tent, trailer sites and even a cabin are available to rent. Like all Illinois state park campgrounds, reservations must be made at least three days ahead of your arrival, and can be made up to 180 days in advance.

To make your reservation, just search for your favorite campground or browse an interactive map featur-

ing all the state’s properties. Once you have your location selected, choose your arrival and departure dates, filter by spot type (campsites, cabins, day use/shelters, etc.), and reserve your ideal site on the map. Payment options are numerous and simple to use. Once you’ve made a reservation, you’ll be sent an email confirmation and the trip will be logged on your ExploreMoreIL.com profile.

For more camping suggestions and to investigate more lodging options in the area, be sure to follow Starved Rock Country on Facebook.

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 13, 2021

Dedicated to growing the awareness of everything the Starved Rock area has to offer

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 13, 2021

SHAW MEDIA

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REELING IN FLAVOR Fish fry fans share their favorite finds

W

SHAW MEDIA

hile fish fries often are tradition during the Lenten observance, their popular appeal has placed them on many menus year-round.

Readers in several of the counties we cover voted on their dining recommendations for the fine art of the fish fry. We share the names of the top three winners.

DeKALB COUNTY DeKalb Moose Lodge

KANE COUNTY Balmoral Restaurant 40W099 Route 64, Campton Hills 331-901-5224 www.balmoralrestaurant.com Fi sh and chips regular menu item – haddock fillet

Schmidt’s Towne Tap 107 N. Main St., Elburn 630-365-0100 www.schmidtstownetap.com Fr iday specials – cod, bluegill, swai, walleye and lake perch

1231 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb 815-756-3854 Facebook at shawurl.com/3eex 5 to 7:30 p.m. first and third Friday of the month – dine in or carryout

The Walrus Room

Smoking Grill & Pizzeria

KENDALL COUNTY

528 E. Main St., Genoa 815-784-5551 smokinggrillgenoa.com Fr iday night special – cod, walleye or Cajun catfish

Faranda’s Banquet Center 302 Grove St., DeKalb 815-981-3304 farandas.com Fr iday night special – fried or baked Icelandic cod

415 W. State St., Suite 105, Geneva 630-881-7557 www.thewalrusgeneva.com Friday night special – Great Lakes fish

Yorkville American Legion 9054 Route 34, Yorkville 630-553-7117 Facebook at shawurl.com/3eez 4: 30 to 7 p.m. Fridays through April 2 – cod and tilapia, carryout available

Riverview Diner 1420 SE River Road, Montgomery 630-859-3737 www.riverviewdiner.com

Da ily menu items – cod, whitefish, salmon, haddock, tilapia, catfish, perch

American Legion Post 675

815-893-0231 www.goallinesportsgrill.com Friday special – all-you-can-eat Icelandic cod

19 W. Washington St., Oswego WILL COUNTY 630-554-8751 www.facebook.com/OswegoAmericanLegion Knights of Columbus 4400 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Fridays – dine in or carryout 1813 E. Cass St., Joliet 815-723-3827 LaSALLE COUNTY www.kofc4400.com 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays – Alaskan cod and Shoreline Boat Club walleye, carryout or limited dine in 917 Green St., Ottawa Croatian Cultural Club 815-433-9663 1503 Clement St., Joliet www.ottawashoreline.com 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays in March – drive-thru only 815-723-3154 www.croatianculturalclub.com Knights of Columbus 1775 4 to 7:30 p.m. Fridays – cod, carryout only 500 E. Hitt St., Utica Knights of Columbus 382 815-667-4745 100 129th Infantry Drive, Joliet www.facebook.com/UticaKC 5 to 7 p.m. Fridays in March – drive-thru only 815-725-0746 www.kofc382.org Knights of Columbus 7801 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays – cod, catfish, Kodiak 307 E. Florence St., Oglesby salmon, Alaskan walleye, carryout available 815-883-3181 Facebook at shawurl.com/3eey WHITESIDE COUNTY 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays in March – drive-thru only

McHENRY COUNTY Rusty Nail Saloon 4520 Ringwood Road, Ringwood 815-728-3017 www.rustynailringwood.com Fr iday specials – lake perch and all-you-caneat haddock

Tracks Bar & Grill 108 W. Main St., Cary 847-639-6064 www.thecarytracks.com Friday special – all-you-can-eat cod

Goal Line Sports Bar & Grill 85 Brink St., Crystal Lake

Don’s Seafood & Chicken & More 1501 W. Fourth St., Sterling 815-622-0258 Facebook at shawurl.com/3ef0 Daily menu items

Candlelight Inn 2907 N. Locust St., Sterling 815-625-2600 www.candlelightinnrestaurant.com Daily menu items – cod and salmon

Forest Inn 20657 Lincoln Road, Morrison 815-772-4557 www.facebook.com/ForestInnRestaurant Da ily menu items – tilapia, catfish, halibut, cod, rainbow trout

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations returning

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your dog in the finest green attire and head over to the Lower Rock Run Dog Park on McClintock Road in Joliet for a special romp with your pup on March 13 in search of pots of gold. St. PAW-trick’s Day is from 10 a.m. to noon, and is free for all ages.

Registration and 2021 dog park permits are required. Permits will be available for purchase during the program or online. Each human guest must register in advance by March 13, either online or by calling 815-727-8700.

For stay-at-home activities, sign up for two St. Patrick’s Day-themed Zoom webinars with a local focus, “Irish in the Industries” at noon March 14, and “St. Pat’s Charming Snakes,” a nature program, at 7 p.m. March 17. Registration is required by signing up via the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org, or calling 815-886-1467 or 708-946-2216, respectively.

SHAW MEDIA

s events begin to return after a year’s hiatus, a variety of St. Patrick’s Day festivities will kick off this weekend.

Here are some highlights of different ways to join the fun.

YORKVILLE Some sense of normalcy will be back in downtown Yorkville for an early St. Patrick’s Day, with a full lineup of events including live music planned by the city.

This year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration will feature a 5K race at 9 a.m., a leprechaun hunt and an evening fireworks show. All events are scheduled for Saturday, March 13.

“It’s going to be exciting, and more details will come, but I think people are just looking for some activity,” Mayor John Purcell said.

The 5K race will begin at Southbank BBQ, 129 E. Hydraulic St. Meanwhile, the leprechaun hunt (follow @ YorkvilleParksandRec for details), followed by a leprechaun meet-andgreet, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Riverfront Park.

At noon, the Gleeson Irish Trio will perform at the Law Office, 226 S. Bridge St., followed by a fireworks show at 6:30 p.m. over Route 47 and Countryside Parkway. Downtown Yorkville bars and restaurants will host live music and will serve food and drink specials throughout the day.

LEMONT The Forge: Lemont Quarries, a 300acre outdoor adventure park, will host a weekend long AR Adventure Game St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt.

Help Liam the Leprechaun retrieve his gold through an augmented-reality escape room while solving puzzles and riddles. Sessions are available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 19 to 21. Tickets are offered at shawurl.com/3eew and cost $30 per team of up to six people.

GLEN ELLYN

MCHENRY McHenry’s ShamRocks the Fox festival invites everyone to paint the town green March 13 and 14.

Dyeing of the Fox River and a portion of Boone Creek by Blarney Island begins at 11 a.m. March 13. The Pearl Street bridge will be closed to traffic for viewing of the Fox River, or you can watch the river dyeing from sidewalks along Miller Point and along the McHenry Riverwalk.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, there will be food and drink specials at McHenry area businesses. Attendees can buy alcohol from local bars and restaurants and leave the premises with their drinks in hand, if they stay in the designated downtown area.

People are asked to maintain social

Shaw Media file photo

distancing and wear masks when not eating or drinking. If you don’t have a mask, you can find a festive St. Patrick’s Day mask from Black Orchid Boutique in downtown McHenry. For more information, go to www.visitmchenrycounty.com/shamrocksthefox.

ST. CHARLES For a second straight year, St. Charles will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without a parade because of the pandemic.

The St. Patrick’s Celebration, hosted by the St. Charles Business Alliance, will take place March 13. Instead of the parade, the event will feature events around downtown, including a photo op area open through March

17, roaming bagpipers from noon to 3 p.m., and a search for leprechauns at downtown St. Charles businesses as part of a treasure hunt.

“While there will be major changes in place, we have been working hard to keep the spirit of this community event alive so that we can keep the joy and benefits it brings to our businesses and community,” St. Charles Business Alliance Executive Director Jenna Sawicki said in a news release.

To learn more, visit stcstpatricksparade.com.

JOLIET Canines can join the fun of St. Patrick’s Day, announces the Forest Preserve District of Will County. Dress

The McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage offers a performance of The National Dance Company of Ireland’s “Rhythm of the Dance,” available for streaming beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 13, and continuing through Wednesday, March 17.

The richly costumed show marries the contemporary and the ancient, combining traditional music with modern forms of Irish step dancing and song while showcasing a wealth of Irish talent, including World and Irish champion dancers and some of the finest musicians and singers, organizers stated.

Tickets cost $25 per household (plus $3.75 service fee). The link to tickets and details are available at AtTheMAC.org or by calling the box office at 630-942-4000 from noon to 5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday.

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 13, 2021

LUCK O’ THE IRISH

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Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 13, 2021

SHAW MEDIA

6 STREAMING THIS WEEKEND

‘Cherry,’ ‘Bloodlands,’ Kids’ Choice Awards all new

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week.

Movies

Anthony and Joe Russo, the filmmaking brothers behind the “Avengers” movies, pivot in a different direction on “Cherry,” a new drama about post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction. Tom Holland stars as a combat medic who suffers psychologically after returning from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. A doctor prescribes him OxyContin, and his subsequent opioid addiction leads to a life of bank robbing. The film, based on Nico Walker’s best-selling, semi-autobiographical novel, is on Apple TV+. In their first directorial project since “Avengers: Endgame,” the Russos employ their blockbuster aesthetic on a stylized and self-indulgent American crime drama.

The late days of winter, let alone of a pandemic, can drag anyone down.

It’s a good time to break out some Preston Sturges. Thankfully, on Sunday,

The Criterion Channel will launch an eight-film series of the screwball master – a body of work that stands as one of the sublime and most absurdly entertaining in all of movies. Many of them come from Sturges’ early ‘40s blitz: “The Great McGinty,” “Christmas in July,” “Sullivan’s Travels,” “The Palm Beach Story,” “The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek.” But look out, also, for 1948’s lesser-known “Unfaithfully Yours,” a daringly sinister comedy in which a conductor (Rex Harrison) spends a concert fantasizing about how he’ll respond to the wife (Linda Darnell) he believes has had an affair.

– Film Writer Jake Coyle

Music

The 2021 Grammys will hand out 84 awards Sunday, but what’s more exciting? The performers. Taylor Swift, BTS, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa will take the stage. The show, hosted

by Trevor Noah, will air from Los Angeles on CBS and Paramount+ at 7 p.m. Other performers include Chris Martin, John Mayer, Doja Cat, Maren Morris, DaBaby, HAIM, Lil Baby,

Brandi Carlile, Roddy Ricch, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Mickey Guyton and Black Pumas.

Selena Gomez is tapping into her Mexican roots with her first Spanish-language project. “Revelación” features collaborations with Puerto Rican performers Rauw Alejandro and Myke Towers, as well as French producer DJ Snake, whom Gomez worked with on the pop and Latin hit “Taki Taki,” also featuring Cardi B and Ozuna. Gomez’s singles from her new seven-song release – “Baila Conmigo” (“Dance With Me”) and “De Una Vez” (“At Once”) – have both peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot Latin songs chart.

After topping the charts with his brothers, Nick Jonas is going solo again. The pop star and “The Voice” mentor just released “Spaceman.” It is the 28-year-old’s fourth solo effort and features the singles “This Is Heaven” and “Spaceman,” which he recently performed on “Saturday Night Live.”

– Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu

Television

Grown-ups don’t have a lock on awards shows, as Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards proves once again. The

ceremony promises to be a virtual “wild ride” that, yes, will include slime. Among the creative solutions to pandemic-era safety: interactive video walls that bring celebrities and families at home together. Top nominees include Justin Bieber, who is scheduled to be among the performers; Ariana Grande; “Stranger Things”; and “Wonder Woman 1984.” Kenan Thompson of “Saturday Night Live” will host the event airing at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on channels including Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. A decades-old cold case involving a series of disappearances is at the heart of the Irish crime thriller “Bloodlands,” debuting Monday, March 15, on the Acorn TV streaming service. James Nesbitt stars as a veteran detective forced to explore his own troubled past during the investigation. The country’s history also is part of the mystery: The missing vanished just before the 1998 peace agreement to end Northern Ireland’s entrenched sectarian violence. The four-part drama’s cast includes Charlene McKenna (“Peaky Blinders”) and Ian McElhinney (“Game of Thrones”).

– Television Writer Lynn Elber

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By PAM OTTO

Taking interesting dives into the natural world around us, Pam Otto opens new avenues of exploration.

Tapping trees for maple syrup a sweet treat

S

o here we are in March 2021, marking the one-year anniversary since COVID changed our lives. Over the past 12 months, I’d wager many of us dusted off skills we might have forgotten we had. How many times did you try making lemonade out of lemons, or the immeasurably more difficult chicken salad from chicken, uh, droppings?

Last week, as the temperatures gave us that magical combination of above freezing during the day and at or below freezing at night, I knew it was my turn to make our not-great situation seem a little bit brighter. I grabbed a few tools, headed outside and endeavored to make pancake deliciousness out of pandemic downtime.

Or, put another way, maple syrup out of maple sap.

Now, the last time I trotted out my maple-tapping know-how was 2007, when I worked at Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora. Back then, the Ides of March was the date around which our entire programming year revolved. MapleFest, then held on the Saturday closest to the middle of March, saw hundreds of people flocking to the Red Oak grounds to witness the magic of poking a hole in a tree, hanging a bucket, collecting the sap, and boiling it down to make syrup.

I can still remember the rituals of the season, which besides MapleFest included about four weeks of teaching school kids about the process, as well as what’s going on inside the tree that makes it possible. (In a nutshell, the warmer days and still-cool nights of late winter create pressure changes within the tree that cause the sap to move. Its ultimate purpose is to fuel the growth of this year’s leaves. And no, the loss of a few gallons of sap will not harm a healthy tree.)

Armed with a brace (aka hand drill) and 7/16-inch bit, a spile (the “spigot”), a hammer and a bucket with a lid, off we’d troop to a nearby maple tree to capture the watery goodness.

We’d drill a hole at a slightly downward angle, then gently tap the spile into the tree. It was always the naturalists’ job to hold the spiles while the program participants tried their hand at tapping with the hammer – a task that 99 times out of 100 proceeded without incident. But then would come that 100th time.

None of us ever sustained serious injury. However, a number of close calls led to, as my friend and former co-naturalist Miss Bonnie reminded me just the other day, a phrase that

Photo provided

Maple syrup, anyone? Our recent warm days and cool nights provided perfect conditions for the 2021 sap run in northern Illinois. became standard for every group: “Now, remember, it’s maple tapping, not maple whacking.”

Lugging the buckets of sap to the fire, stoking the wood stove, filling stainless steel sap-boiling pans, watching the steam rise as the excess water bubbled away – these are memories ingrained in my brain.

So, I suppose it’s only natural that, after a 14-year absence, maple tapping is back in my life.

I’d thought about doing it in years past, but beyond conjuring up some fond memories, I never took any action. The excuse I gave myself was that I didn’t have the proper equipment – specifically the spile.

But then a few weeks ago, trimming back the elderberry bushes in my backyard, I realized I was holding the solution in my hand: elderberry canes.

The pith that runs through the center of these thin branches is soft and easily removed, leaving a sturdy tube that can be whittled to the appropriate size.

In just under 30 minutes, includ-

ing the time it took to track down my X-Acto blades, I’d fashioned an elderberry spile, and in just 15 minutes more, the silver maple in my backyard was tapped. A food-grade bucket collected the drip, drip, drip of watery goodness, and within 48 hours of sinking that homemade spile, I was feasting on homemade syrup poured over pancakes and sausage.

Now, if you’re paying attention, you might at this point be thinking, “Wait a minute, Miss Pam. You tapped a silver maple, not a sugar maple!”

You know what? It’s OK. Silver maples produce sugary sap, too. As do black maples, red maples, Norway maples and even box elders, which actually are maples. In fact, you can tap walnut trees, birch trees, basswood trees and several others. Each species has a unique flavor, as well as a different percentage of water in the sap.

Sugar maples are great because of their high sugar-to-water ratio. It takes only about 40 gallons of sap (pic-

ture a full bathtub) to make a gallon of sugar maple syrup. Silver maple sap is more watery, so you need to gather more and boil it longer to evaporate the excess liquid. But it’s just as delicious. (Fun fact: The scientific name for sugar maple is Acer saccharum, while silver maple’s binomial is A. saccharinum. Both species names are derived from the Latin word for sugar.)

You might also have noticed that maple sugaring season now occurs roughly two weeks earlier than it did in the early 2000s. Yes, our climate is shifting. But the fun remains the same. While it might be too late to fashion an elderberry tree spile and tap a tree this year, the next maple-tapping season is just over 11 months away – a time span that is, literally, a drop in the bucket.

• Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District.

She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 13, 2021

GOOD NATURED

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, March 13, 2021

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8

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